LSU Tigers: Rob Bolden

BATON ROUGE, La. -- The LSU Tigers lost one the few veterans on its interior defensive line in the first week of preseason camp when Quentin Thomas tore a bicep on Wednesday.

LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette confirmed that Thomas had suffered an injury after the fourth-year junior missed practice on Thursday and Friday, but the Baton Rouge Advocate reported that he is expected to miss the season.

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"With him going down, he's a great friend of mine [and] I felt terrible when I heard about it," sophomore defensive tackle Christian LaCouture said after Friday morning's practice. "Somebody's got to step up."

LaCouture and Thomas were listed as starting tackles on LSU's preseason depth chart, although they have only one start between them. Thomas started in place of Ego Ferguson in last season's Outback Bowl when Ferguson did not play in the game. He finished last season with nine tackles in 11 games.

Thomas redshirted in 2011 and contributed in a minimal role in 2012. He finally saw the field a bit last season and said earlier this week that he was excited to have a chance to truly make an impact.

"Redshirting and not playing as much for the past few years has helped me learn my plays and put me in a better position for when they do give me my chance, I'll be able to perform well," Thomas said after Monday's first preseason practice.

Now it looks like it will be a while before Thomas gets that chance, which his coach at Breaux Bridge (La.) High School, Paul Broussard, admitted would be a major disappointment for his former player.

"He had worked hard, waited his turn and bided his time and finally had his chance to start," said Broussard, who had not yet spoken to Thomas a couple of hours after the news broke Friday. "I know it has to be devastating for him."

The Tigers now must lean more heavily on a trio of defensive tackles: Frank Herron (LSU coach Les Miles described as "a beast" earlier this week), Greg Gilmore and Maquedius Bain . All three redshirted last season after arriving at LSU as ESPN 300 honorees in 2013.

Additionally, LSU might get some good news about 2014 signee Travonte Valentine soon. Champagnat Catholic (Fla.) coach Mike Tunsil told TigerSportsDigest.com that he expects the NCAA Clearinghouse to permit Valentine to enroll at LSU next Tuesday. Valentine was ESPN's No. 164 overall prospect in the 2014 class and the No. 11 defensive tackle.

Regardless of whether Valentine contributes this fall, the interior line will still feature mostly inexperienced players. The next several weeks of practice will help determine which players figure heavily into defensive line coach Brick Haley's plans.

"Even though I'm a sophomore, I'm trying to be an upperclassman and trying to help with the young guys. A lot of them have to play," LaCouture said. "With everything going on, we're just trying to figure out who's ready to play. I thought we had a great day today."

Thompson playing it smart: Safety Corey Thompson said his surgically repaired knee is completely healthy, but he's still trying to be smart in his return to the field.

"I took limited reps today, but the first few practices, I got them all, I got it in," Thompson said after Friday's first practice in full pads. "So just trying to get back in shape is my main thing."

Thompson missed spring practice following surgery to repair the ACL he tore last season against Texas A&M. He's in the mix to return to the starting lineup this fall -- he had started five of the last six games last season when he went down against the Aggies -- although LSU lists him behind Rickey Jefferson on the preseason depth chart.

"We're just trying to teach the freshmen, make sure they understand, because they're going to get some play, too," Thompson said. "So we know that everybody's going to play, everybody's good enough to play, so we're all rotating."

Absences and graduations: Center Elliott Porter was among the Tigers who were absent from Friday's practice periods that were open to the media. The senior sport administration major participated in summer commencement exercises Friday morning at LSU's Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- With LSU opening preseason practice today, the Tigers will have no shortage of position battles to watch over the next 26 days until the Aug. 30 opener against Wisconsin.

Let’s take a glance at five positions that should feature considerable competition this month.

Quarterback: This one will attract the most attention, just as it did during spring practice. Sophomore Anthony Jennings or freshman Brandon Harris will be the starter. That was all but certain during the spring and is guaranteed now that backups Stephen Rivers, Hayden Rettig and Rob Bolden have all transferred from the program since the end of last season. But which of the youngsters will it be?

Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY SportsFreshman Brandon Harris made a heck of a first impression during LSU's spring game.

The Tigers got an outstanding season out of Zach Mettenberger in 2013, but he played almost every important down before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the regular-season finale against Arkansas. The opportunity to lead the offense to a win against the Razorbacks surely benefited Jennings, but he didn’t show as much composure in the Outback Bowl win against Iowa. And that was before his performance in the Tigers’ spring game was a complete flop.

Harris, meanwhile, overcame a sloppy start that day to show off a strong arm and impressive wheels. The day belonged to him, but the competition isn’t over. Jennings will still have a chance this month to convince offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to let him start against Wisconsin, but Harris is going to be tough to hold off.

Wide receiver: This is going to be a fun position to watch over the next couple of seasons since LSU signed arguably the top class of receivers in the country in February. It started with the No. 1 and 3 prospects at the position, Malachi Dupre and Trey Quinn, and continued with two more ESPN 300 honorees in D.J. Chark and Tony Upchurch.

Since the Tigers lost two extremely productive wideouts from last season -- Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry -- the receiver spots are wide open entering camp. Sophomore Travin Dural and senior Quantavius Leslie are the only LSU receivers with any game experience, and they occupy the starting spots on the preseason depth chart. But the Tigers probably need several of the true and redshirt freshmen -- John Diarse appears to be the most likely contributor out of that group -- to prove themselves in August and beyond for this to be a productive season for the receiving corps.

Safety: This was one of the team’s bigger question marks in the spring and it’s still a question now in part because of Jalen Mills’ uncertain status following an offseason arrest.

Injuries hit the Tigers hard at safety last season, forcing starters Corey Thompson and Ronald Martin out of the lineup and eventually clearing the way for Mills to shift from cornerback to safety for the Iowa game. The good news now is that all those injuries helped plenty of LSU safeties get on-field tryouts, and now Thompson, Martin, Mills, Rickey Jefferson and Dwayne Thomas are all back in the mix.

Freshmen Jamal Adams and Devin Voorhies are in the picture, too, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a freshman -- particularly the heavily recruited Adams -- participating in some capacity early in the season.

Signee Travonte Valentine was once thought to have a chance to contribute immediately as well, but the NCAA has yet to clear him to enroll at LSU, meaning he also missed out on the Tigers’ valuable summer workouts. If he makes it to Baton Rouge sometime this month, he might still make it onto the field in 2014, but it appears Valentine is behind the 8-ball for now.

Right guard: The offensive line should be an area of strength in 2014 since it must replace only one starter, right guard Trai Turner. Unlike some of the other open jobs, this one won’t go to a freshman since both of the leading candidates to take over the job are seniors: Fehoko Fanaika and Evan Washington. This is another battle that started in the spring, but if new line coach Jeff Grimes has made a decision, he hasn’t made it publicly. Fanaika and Washington are listed as co-No. 1s on LSU’s preseason depth chart.

Editor's note: This week, we'll take a quick look at each of LSU's position groups as the Tigers prepare to open preseason practice next week. Today we start with the quarterbacks.

QUARTERBACK

Returning starters: None.

Starters lost:Zach Mettenberger (192-296, 3,082 yards, 22 TDs, 8 INTs in 2013). The fifth-year senior was one of the nation's most improved quarterbacks and became only the third LSU quarterback ever to pass for 3,000 yards in a season. His leadership helped the Tigers rank first nationally by converting 57.1 percent of their first downs and his strong right arm helped LSU's passing game become truly dangerous in Cam Cameron's first season as offensive coordinator.

Key newcomers:Brandon Harris. (No. 37 overall prospect on ESPN 300, No. 2 dual-threat QB). The battle between early enrollee Harris and sophomore Anthony Jennings (13-29, 181, 1 TD, 1 INT) was the main story of LSU's spring practice. Regardless of who wins the job, he will have either no or next to no starting experience in college.

Player to watch: Harris. The freshman was the offensive star of the Tigers' spring game, shaking off a slow start to make a number of big plays with his feet and impressive arm. Meanwhile, Jennings tossed a pair of pick-sixes. Round 1 between the two definitely went to the rookie.

Overall: When spring practice started, it seemed likely that either Jennings or Harris would be the Tigers' next starter. Now they don't have any choice since backups Stephen Rivers, Hayden Rettig and Rob Bolden have all left the team since the end of last season. As long as Jennings and Harris remain healthy, LSU shouldn't have any problems -- they played only two quarterbacks last season, after all -- but an injury might bring a walk-on into the picture.

Let's assume for now that both will stay healthy. This is an enormous August for both players. Jennings played sparingly in 2013 before taking over late in the fall when Mettenberger suffered a season-ending knee injury. He made an instant impact, leading the game-winning, 99-yard touchdown drive in the waning minutes against Arkansas. He followed that with a shaky performance in the Outback Bowl, though, and his spring game was unquestionably a dud. The door is definitely open for the freshman to claim the job. But whoever becomes the starter, this season might be an adventure as he learns on the job.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU officially added another name to its list of summer departures on Monday when a school spokesman confirmed that senior Rob Bolden intends to transfer.

In addition to the seven Tigers who sacrificed their remaining eligibility in order to enter the 2014 NFL draft, four others have announced plans to transfer, including defensive end Jordan Allen (Arizona) and quarterbacks Stephen Rivers (Vanderbilt) and Hayden Rettig (Rutgers). Now Bolden becomes the third player capable of lining up under center who has opted to continue his career elsewhere.

Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesRob Bolden is the third player capable of playing quarterback to transfer from LSU this offseason.

Bolden played receiver this spring after spending the past two seasons as a backup quarterback at LSU -- he never appeared in an actual game -- and the two seasons before that as a part-time starting quarterback at Penn State. He transferred to LSU in 2012 in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky investigation.

Had he remained at LSU, he would have been one of the most veteran players at whichever position he played. Of the nine wideouts listed on the preseason depth chart LSU released Monday, Quantavius Leslie is the only senior, there are no juniors and Travin Dural is the only sophomore.

That isn't necessarily a nightmare scenario so long as Jennings and Harris stay healthy this fall. LSU used only two quarterbacks -- senior Zach Mettenberger and Jennings -- all of last season, even though Mettenberger dealt with minor injuries for a portion of the fall before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the regular-season finale against Arkansas.

It obviously helped from a continuity standpoint that Mettenberger was a fifth-year senior who possessed extensive college experience and an NFL-level skillset. Jennings and Harris are both early in their developmental cycle, which already leaves LSU with little breathing room at the position even before potential injuries enter the equation.

LSU's coaches made it clear during the spring that Jennings and Harris are their top two options -- hence the departures of the three backup quarterbacks -- so Bolden would have been nothing more than an emergency option as long as the youngsters stayed upright. But he would have been an awfully useful emergency option.

In 2010, Bolden became the first true freshman quarterback to start a game at Penn State in 100 years and he went on to start 17 games between that season and the next before transferring to LSU. Backup quarterbacks with that kind of major-conference experience aren't particularly plentiful, and now LSU has decided to spend his last season of eligibility elsewhere.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU’s spring practice is officially in the books. Now that it’s over, we thought it might be fun to review two sets of our predictions from before the spring and see how close we came.

Max Olson/ESPN.comLSU early enrollee Edward Paris is making an impact at defensive back.

Outcome: Although it’s clear that freshmen such as tailback Leonard Fournette, receiver Malachi Dupre and safety Jamal Adams -- none of whom will arrive until this summer -- are likely contributors in 2014, this prediction mostly referred to the redshirt freshmen who will see their first action this fall. It also referred to early enrollees defensive back Edward Paris and quarterback Brandon Harris, who participated in spring practice and stand a good chance of playing this season.

We were hardly going out on a limb here, but it appears as though plenty of redshirt freshmen secured 2014 playing time over the last month. Players worth mentioning from that group include receiver John Diarse and defensive linemen Frank Herron, Maquedius Bain and Greg Gilmore.

Outcome: To be determined. Harris clearly outplayed Jennings in last Saturday’s spring game, but LSU’s coaches and players insist the competition is far from over. Jennings etched his name into LSU lore by leading the game-winning touchdown drive against Arkansas last year in relief of an injured Zach Mettenberger, but his mediocre performance in the Outback Bowl and highly average spring game -- he threw two interceptions, both to linebackers who returned them for touchdowns -- leave this race wide open.

Jennings might very well start the opener against Wisconsin, but we can’t claim victory (or accept defeat) on our quarterback prediction at this point.

Prediction No. 3: Right guard isn’t the only offensive line job that’s up for grabs

Outcome: Right guard is the only spot that didn’t return a starter, so it was clearly up for grabs. We were curious as to whether new offensive line coach Jeff Grimes might shake things up along the line, but it doesn’t appear that he did.

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Outcome: Another fairly safe prediction here. As long as Robinson remains on the active roster, it seems highly likely that he will build upon his late charge in 2013 and become a star in the secondary.

Harris and Rob Bolden teamed up to beat him on a pretty throw down the sideline in the spring game, but Robinson otherwise held up well last Saturday. After shutting down Texas A&M superstar Mike Evans last season, Robinson has LSU fans excited about his potential -- and he didn’t seem to hurt his cause on the practice field this spring.

Outcome: Anyone who saw Hunter manhandle the second-string offensive line in the spring game -- including back-to-back sacks on one possession -- would say this prediction seems to be sound.

LSU posted just 27 sacks last season, which was a big drop-off after the last few Tigers teams boasted at least one or two scary pass rushers. Jermauria Rasco led the team with just four sacks, and Hunter tied for second with three.

It would be a major upset -- and a big disappointment -- if Hunter fails to exceed that total this fall.

Now let’s take a look at our predictions for five players to watch during the spring: Paris, Jennings, Fanaika, wide receiver Quantavius Leslie and defensive lineman Mickey Johnson.

There were some hits and misses here. Jennings was an obvious choice since he and Harris were clearly going to battle for the quarterback job. Picking either one made sense, but we went with Jennings since he was the more experienced player. Harris was the contender who generated all of the positive buzz in the spring game, however.

Fanaika, Leslie and Johnson are all veterans at positions with major playing time available, so they seemed like good picks. Fanaika is still a leading contender to start at right guard and Leslie had a productive second scrimmage (four catches, 135 yards and three touchdowns), although he was quiet in the spring game. But Johnson dealt with injuries during the spring and was not a factor in the Tigers’ competition at defensive tackle.

The problem with our Paris prediction was that we projected him as a contender at safety, which is where ESPN listed him as a prospect. The early enrollee practiced at cornerback during the spring, so we can’t feel too good about that prediction. But he was working with the second-team defense by the end of the spring, so at least he flashed some potential.

If we could redo the list, we’d place Harris, Washington, Diarse, Bain and sophomore Kendell Beckwith -- who shifted to middle linebacker this spring -- on there.

BATON ROUGE, La. – This was a spring of transition for LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, with inexperienced players sliding into leading roles at most of the skill-position spots.

That might cause the Tigers to utilize some positions -- like tight end -- differently than they did a season ago, as LSU will certainly carry more question marks into preseason practice than it did last year with a senior quarterback and veteran stars at tailback and receiver.

Cameron discussed that possibility and a variety of other subjects with reporters after Saturday’s spring game. Here is some of what he had to say:

Q: How important will it be that you work the ball to the fullbacks and tight ends in the passing game this season?

A: It’s critical. We want every guy on our offense involved in both phases of our game, run and pass. And at any point in time, if a defense knows you’re not going to throw the ball to a guy, then I think you make it tough on yourself. But Connor Neighbors is as good a receiving fullback as I’ve been around. Melvin Jones is going to be outstanding. All our tight ends, I just mentioned all of them, even J.D. Moore came in and made a big play at the end, so we’ve got great depth at tight end, we’ve got two really outstanding fullbacks and we’re going to need them this season.

Q: How much did you have to tinker with the scheme to work the ball to the tight ends?

A: Our system is what it is. It’s a route tree that allows tight ends to do what they do best. We didn’t feature it last year for obvious reasons, knowing the talent at outside, and then we would move Jarvis [Landry] and Odell [Beckham] down inside almost in a tight end-type role. But this year is different. Every year with different personnel creates a whole new set of opportunities and I think the opportunities for our tight ends are going to be critical. I was thrilled -- for the most part I thought they made the most of it.

Q: How much will the group of signees arriving this summer cause you to re-evaluate how you use the different positions?

A: You’re always evaluating. But I think everyone knows this: we bring young players here to play. It’s Les [Miles'] philosophy. No one plays more young players than we do to my knowledge. But the key thing is, they know, we expect them to come in and play a major role. Not just play. Not just letter. They need to take a major role and make big plays in big games and this is a freshman class that I know our current players are looking forward to playing with. And at the same time, it’s a group that’s looking forward to coming in here and playing big roles in big games.

Q: How did Rob Bolden make the transition from quarterback to receiver this spring?

A: Rob is 6-5, he looks the part. He’s spatially starting to get a feel for how to play out in space. Was really pleased. First thing he said to me coming through the tunnel was, ‘Gosh, I should have made a couple of those plays,’ and we know that. But I think I’m confident he’ll make those plays.

Q: How much of Brandon Harris’ feel for the pocket and his decisions to tuck it and run were natural and how much was by design?

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A: You mean total panic, scramble and run? [Laughs] The only reason I’m saying that is we tease Brandon about that. He may not be doing it for reasons you think he is. But again, I think mobility is something that we like in a quarterback. We know what to do, we think, with a quarterback that doesn’t have mobility and I think there’s certain things that you try to allow QBs to do when they have it, and he and Anthony [Jennings] and even Hayden [Rettig] -- you saw Hayden’s an athlete -- all our guys are pretty athletic and mobility’s going to be a big thing for us this season.

Q: How different are those two quarterbacks from where they were when you started at the first of March?

A: That’s a good question. They’re better. They should be better. They’ll continue to get better. I would think that all our quarterbacks, until the day they leave, will be continuing to improve and will be ascending players after they leave here. That would be our goal. So every snap these guys get in practice or in a scrimmage or in a game, if they can stay healthy, they should get better -- especially when you’re 18, 19 years old.

Q: As you get ready to send them into the summer, what’s the message you’re sending them over what to work on?

A: You know, I haven’t thought about that yet. I’m going to kind of look at the tape, think about it [Sunday] and we’ll meet on Monday, we’ll talk to them on Tuesday. And we’ll kind of get with the staff collectively, ‘OK, where are we? What are our strengths right now? What are the areas we need to improve?’ We’ll kind of let this marinate for a night, think about it and kind of come up with something for them by Monday or Tuesday.

Al Messerschmidt/Getty ImagesSophomore Anthony Jennings has experience on his side in the Tigers' quarterback competition.

The QB race is on: On national signing day, it looked like LSU might have five quarterbacks vying for playing time in the fall. With the announcements that Stephen Rivers will transfer and Rob Bolden will play receiver, the race was down to three before practice even started.

Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris appear to lead Hayden Rettig in one of the nation’s most-watched spring quarterback battles. With 2013 playing time under his belt -- including a start in the Outback Bowl win over Iowa -- Jennings appears to be the more composed, polished contender on the practice field. But Harris possesses special passing talent. It should continue to be an interesting race throughout the summer and into the season.

The young quarterbacks endured many sloppy moments early in camp, to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Cam Cameron’s displeasure, but Tigers coach Les Miles said both players threw the ball well in Saturday’s scrimmage. Perhaps they are starting to turn a corner toward being ready to face SEC competition.

Receivers are a mess: Between frequent dropped passes and a spate of injuries, it has not been a banner spring for LSU’s receivers. Early in the spring, they seemed to struggle to get on the same page with the quarterbacks. And by the end of last week, they only had a couple of healthy scholarship players available.

Redshirt freshmen Kevin Spears, Avery Peterson and John Diarse have all dealt with injuries, with those setbacks coming at a particularly inopportune time since the youngsters need to establish themselves before a talented group of signees arrives this summer. At last Thursday’s practice periods that were open to the media, the only scholarship wideouts catching passes from the quarterbacks were Travin Dural and Quantavius Leslie.

Miles said last week that he likes what Dural and Diarse have accomplished thus far this spring, and Dural caught a long touchdown pass in Saturday’s scrimmage. But the others still have a lot to prove, which might be why Miles predicted that all four receiver signees will have the opportunity to win playing time in the fall.

Defensive line coming together: Miles seems pleased with the progress that several young defensive linemen have made this spring. In the last week, he has singled out redshirt freshmen Frank Herron, Maquedius Bain and Greg Gilmore for getting stronger and improving their games since they arrived at LSU last year.

He also complimented sophomores Christian LaCouture and Tashawn Bower after Saturday’s scrimmage. LaCouture and Bain both had sacks in the scrimmage, and Bower had two quarterback pressures.

The defensive line competition won’t generate a fraction of the national interest that the quarterback battle will, but that group’s development might be just as important in gauging LSU’s chances to contend in the SEC West this fall. With Anthony Johnson and Ego Ferguson both bolting for the NFL, the Tigers desperately needed some players to fill their void -- and Miles makes it sound as if they are developing some good options.

OL battle rages: It’s no surprise that LSU’s coaching staff continues to weigh its options on the offensive line -- particularly at the right guard position.

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Seniors Evan Washington and Fehoko Fanaika have worked there, as has sophomore Ethan Pocic. It’s clear that the staff likes what Pocic can do, because he has practiced at guard, center and tackle this spring. Fanaika has been strictly at guard and Washington has worked at both guard and tackle.

With a new offensive line coach, Jeff Grimes, coming on board this spring, it’s obvious that he’s experimenting with different player combinations to see what he likes best. That experimentation will probably continue beyond the spring game.

Linebacker shuffle: As with the offensive line, LSU’s linebackers are also trying some new combinations this spring. Kwon Alexander shifted from strongside linebacker to weakside linebacker, Lamar Louis went from middle linebacker to the strong side and Kendell Beckwith is now backing up D.J. Welter in the middle after playing mostly at defensive end last fall.

LSU’s linebackers were somewhat mediocre for portions of 2013, so defensive coordinator John Chavis shook things up a bit this spring. Miles said Saturday that Beckwith’s move to the middle appears to be a good one and that Welter has improved his play this spring with the talented sophomore now battling him for playing time.

The linebackers themselves seem excited about the speed and athleticism that their group possesses. It will be interesting to see whether the lineup shuffling affects the Tigers’ overall defensive performance.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU will commemorate the midway point of spring practice Saturday with its first full team scrimmage at Tiger Stadium.

The Tigers are nowhere near installing the more complex schemes that fans will see during the fall, but Saturday's competition should provide a good measuring stick for what the team has accomplished in the first two weeks of spring workouts.

Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesLes Miles says the defense is ahead of the offense so far this spring.

“They scheme it up a little bit, but not a lot,” senior linebacker D.J. Welter said. “It's really just basic stuff, like the basic blitzes that we'll run every game. It won't be like a special thing or a special formation. It's basic.”

LSU held a partial scrimmage last Saturday and will return to Tiger Stadium again next Saturday for its final scrimmage before the April 5 spring game. For the most part, each of those outings emphasizes competition and fundamental techniques.

Coach Les Miles said the offense worked on first-and-10 situations last week and will practice third-and-short and third-and-medium scenarios -- to “put us in position where we have to be pass rushed and be able to execute the passing game under pressure” -- plus special teams Saturday.

But as Welter said, it will be mostly basic situational work where both sides run vanilla schemes and the coaches can evaluate how younger players, in particular, hold up against more seasoned competitors.

“I can say one of the main things is it's for the young guys -- for guys who haven't established themselves to establish themself as a playmaker and just show that they want to play, whether it's on special teams or whether it's on offense or defense, just standing out and leaving your mark,” linebacker Lamar Louis said.

“So I can say that first spring [scrimmage] has a lot to do with that because it's not much scheme, not much put in from the playbook or whatever. You're just showing the coaches you can execute small things that they've given you already.”

Many eyes, then, will be on players like quarterback Brandon Harris and cornerback Edward Paris Jr. -- early enrollees who are getting their first taste of college competition -- and a host of redshirt freshmen expected to play larger roles this season.

Harris’ development is one of the most intriguing storylines of LSU’s spring, although he and fellow quarterbacks Anthony Jennings and Hayden Rettig might face a competitive disadvantage Saturday. The receiving corps -- another group that has plenty to prove -- has been short-handed for a portion of the spring.

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During the open media periods at Thursday’s practice, the only scholarship receivers catching passes from the quarterbacks were Travin Dural and Quantavius Leslie. Kevin Spears, John Diarse and Rob Bolden were absent and Avery Peterson was wearing pads but watching from the sideline. Spears and Peterson have dealt with hamstring injuries this spring and Miles said Diarse “was limited because of a small procedure that he had done,” adding that he could return to practice next week.

The limited numbers make the passing game look like even more of a work in progress.

“With John back, it’s really a pretty good group,” Miles said. “With John out, it takes some work -- plus you have new quarterbacks that are having to run the drill for the first time, so there’s a little inexperience that’s being served by practicing.”

On the other side of the ball, 2013 redshirts like Greg Gilmore, Maquedius Bain and Frank Herron could all figure heavily into the defensive line plans this fall, and they’ve yet to play a college down. But there are multiple positions throughout the roster where the Tigers have holes to fill, and scrimmages will provide the coaches with some game-like insight.

“From a defensive perspective, you just want to see how people react to the calls, that they do their assignments, how they do their techniques,” Welter said. “Specifically at linebacker, getting your pads dropped or fitting in your gap and reading the flow of the ball, fitting right. So it's all about just fitting right in the defense that's called and going out there and playing and being loose and executing.”

Miles said last week that the defense was ahead of the offense this spring, and he repeated that opinion on Thursday. That’s understandable given the turnover that has taken place at LSU’s offensive skill positions, and it’s part of the developmental process as new players fill departed veterans’ roles.

Such a transition forces the offensive Tigers to take a longer view of what’s taking place on the practice field and in competitive scrimmages like Saturday’s rather than dwell on present-day shortcomings.

“The main thing that we want to do [in scrimmages] is we want to show that we got better. Because by the end of the spring, we want to be 15 practices better than when we started,” left guard Vadal Alexander said. “So I just want to improve on something. That's my main thing.”

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Let’s get this out of the way first: Rob Bolden might be playing receiver now, but he hasn’t completely abandoned the idea of playing quarterback.

“I’m still open to quarterback,” he said last week, only a few days into his first-ever attempt at playing wideout. “I want to play quarterback and any time that they would need me, I’m willing to switch back and forth or whatever.”

Bolden is also a realist, though. He sees the writing on the wall -- most likely, LSU will pick between dual-threat quarterbacks Anthony Jennings or Brandon Harris as the starter -- and knows that playing receiver might be his best chance to get on the field during his senior season.

Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesRob Bolden knows it's unlikely he will be at quarterback for LSU this coming season.

So for the first time in his life -- Bolden said he played safety, tight end and quarterback as youth football player, but never receiver -- he’s attempting to become the guy who catches the passes instead of the guy who throws them.

“It’s just going to take a little extra, just after practice, doing a little bit with Coach [Adam Henry, LSU’s receivers coach],” Bolden said. “He’s going to coach me up and show me how to do all the stuff that I need to learn.”

Catching the ball doesn’t appear to be a problem. In his first practice at receiver, Bolden turned heads with a one-handed catch. At 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, overpowering cornerbacks who try to jam him at the line of scrimmage probably won’t be an issue, either.

“He’s pretty big,” receiver Travin Dural chuckled. “I was telling him some techniques about how to get off the jam and he was like, ‘I’m bigger than all the cornerbacks and I’m stronger, so I can just throw them around.'”

Not that brute force is a completely effective method.

“It’s a little bit of that, but at the same time, you’ve got to learn how to use your hands, which [at last Tuesday’s practice] I kind of struggled with that,” Bolden said. “But once I learn, I’m sure -- I’m a big, strong guy and that won’t really faze me at all.”

It’s still extremely early in Bolden’s transition, so any predictions of future stardom would be premature. Understandably, LSU’s coaches are taking a wait-and-see attitude as he learns the ins and outs at his new position.

“He’s taking some snaps at receiver and it appears to be a pretty good move,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “He made a couple nice catches [in the first spring practice]. Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how he performs.”

Such a move is not unprecedented. For example, Kodi Burns shifted from wideout at Auburn in 2009 when he lost a quarterback competition against Chris Todd. Burns became a valuable role player and even caught a touchdown pass against Oregon in the BCS title game the following season.

As it was with Burns, one thing that should ease Bolden’s transition is that he has a quarterback’s working knowledge of the offensive scheme. He already knew how the various receivers’ routes complemented each other in the passing game and thinks he might be able to help players at his new position gain a better understanding of what a quarterback sees on different plays.

“It’s a great opportunity with me knowing the offense the way that I do,” Bolden said. “I know it like a quarterback, so I know the thought process of it, I know the reads, I know everything. So I may be able to help some of the other guys out as far as lining up and doing all that type of stuff.

“You know a lot of stuff that a lot of other guys wouldn’t. Being in there with [offensive coordinator Cam Cameron], you’re going to learn the offense in and out -- this way, that way, every type of way. That’s going to benefit me a lot. The only thing that I will have to really learn is how to run certain routes and that type of stuff.”

Bolden certainly has spent enough time in quarterback meeting rooms to develop that knowledge base. He’s entering his fifth season in college -- and his third at LSU -- although he hasn’t appeared in a game since 2011. At the time he was at Penn State, where he started 17 games as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to LSU in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

He has only watched from the sidelines at LSU, redshirting in 2012 and backing up Zach Mettenberger last season. Even when Mettenberger suffered a season-ending knee injury late last fall, Miles’ staff turned to then-freshman Jennings to start against Iowa in the Outback Bowl, which offers some insight into where Bolden sat in the quarterback pecking order.

So now he’s a wideout, and his new position mates are willing to teach Bolden the ins and outs of the job. Considering how the Tigers lost their most experienced and productive wideouts in Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Kadron Boone and James Wright, Bolden should have more than enough opportunity to gain some experience this spring.

LSU signed four receivers whom ESPN ranked among the nation’s top 300 prospects -- led by No. 1 wideout Malachi Dupre and No. 3 Trey Quinn -- but those signees won’t arrive on campus until this summer. For now, Bolden is the newest member of an inexperienced receiving corps, and his fellow receivers are trying to encourage him that wideout is a position where he can be successful.

“It was kind of funny seeing him put on gloves and catch balls with us, but I just took him in just like he’s any other guy,” redshirt freshman John Diarse said. “Any little question he has, I try to answer to the best of my knowledge and just try to keep him encouraged that, ‘You’re an athlete. You can do anything you put your mind to.’ So I’m trying to keep him going here."

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Of the six receivers listed on the depth chart for LSU’s Outback Bowl win over Iowa, only two of them are still on the Tigers’ roster this spring.

The returning duo -- Travin Dural and Quantavius Leslie were in their first season of SEC competition. They combined for eight catches and 156 yards all season, nearly all of which came from Dural. Believe it or not, now they are by far the most experienced receivers on the team.

“It’s kind of like the transformation I made in high school. Out of nowhere, I was the older guy,” said Dural, a rising sophomore who is LSU’s top returning receiver with seven catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns last season. “That’s kind of how it is here. It’s a little weird, but I’ve been waiting on this forever, so I’m kind of taking advantage of it and trying to run away with it.”

It is indeed weird. It’s rare that a player who has yet to appear in a game is able to become a leader for his position group, but that’s one of redshirt freshman John Diarse’s goals. An early enrollee last season, Diarse was in position to play last fall before a preseason ankle injury kept him off the field.

Nonetheless, Diarse is actually among the more experienced LSU receivers since he’s nearly a week into his second spring practice with the Tigers -- and as of now, he and Dural have separated themselves as the top players at their position.

“We would look forward to them playing a lot,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We expected John to play more except he got injured just before we went into the season and it really cost him.”

LSU’s depth at the position this spring is not ideal, particularly after redshirt freshmen Kevin Spears and Avery Peterson both hobbled off the practice field earlier this week with hamstring injuries. At the very beginning of spring practice, Miles emphasized that now is the time for players such as Spears, Peterson, Leslie and converted quarterback Rob Bolden to seize some playing time because the competition will get much steeper during preseason camp.

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LSU signed arguably the nation’s top collection of receivers last month when it added ESPN’s No. 1 and 3 wideouts, Malachi Dupre and Trey Quinn, plus ESPN 300 picks D.J. Chark and Tony Upchurch. After that group arrives this summer, inconsistent performers could easily find themselves watching from the sidelines.

“There’s definitely more competition on the way. It’s going to be that way until I graduate,” Diarse said. “It’s just something you’ve got to take as motivation to stay in your spot and don’t let anybody take it from you. That’s what I’ve been taught from Day 1 -- there’s always somebody that’s going to try to come take your job, and you’ve just got to do your best to keep it every day.”

Leslie and Dural are the only members of the group with on-field experience, and even junior college transfer Leslie’s experience is fairly limited. The rising senior appeared in four games last fall -- against UAB, Kent State, Mississippi State and Furman -- and caught just one pass for 11 yards.

That puts some leadership responsibility on Dural, simply because the Tigers don’t have a better option.

“I see sometimes when they don’t really know what’s going on because they haven’t been in certain situations. I kind of step in and let them know,” Dural said. “But mainly they’re kind of getting it. They’ve been in the system. All of them have been in the system for a year, so they pretty much know what’s going on.

“But in certain instances, I step in and let them know how if you do this wrong, it would be different in a game because I’ve seen it in a game so I can critique them on what I’ve seen and what I know.”

Dural characterized the receivers’ first few spring practices as “shaky,” noting that they needed a while to get their timing down after not facing live competition for a few months. They’re also still working to build continuity with three young quarterbacks in sophomore Anthony Jennings, redshirt freshman Hayden Rettig and early enrollee Brandon Harris.

Dural's description certainly seemed accurate in the portions of practice that have been open to the media, as some wideouts frequently dropped passes and the group generally struggled to get on the same page as their quarterbacks in some drills.

It can be a rocky transition, going from being an off-the-radar freshman to a player who expects to contribute, but the young wideouts are fortunate that they don’t have to play a game for nearly six months. They will get in hundreds of valuable practice repetitions this spring without the pressure of a game approaching each Saturday -- so that they’ll be ready when the Tigers finally take the field on Aug. 30 against Wisconsin.

“I knew this time was coming. I knew I was going to have the opportunity to show the world what I can do, and now that it’s here, it’s kind of time for me to just let it all out. I’ve been holding it in for too long,” Diarse said. “I was talking to my mom the other day -- it seems like it’s been forever since I’ve played, but like I said, I’m here now and I’m letting my opportunity just take over.”

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris were both supposed to roll right before attempting a pass during a drill at LSU’s practice on Monday, but Harris ran right up Jennings’ back and disrupted his timing enough to prevent him from even making a throw.

Jennings’ frustration quickly evaporated into empathy, however, because it was only a year ago that he was doing the exact same thing to Zach Mettenberger.

“That’s fine with me,” Jennings chuckled after practice, the Tigers’ second team workout of the spring. “I did the same thing to Zach, so Zach was in the same predicament. I guess I’m like the veteran of the quarterbacks [now]. That’s hard to say coming in when I guess I’m a sophomore now. But I know how it is. You’re not going to be perfect right when you arrive on campus. You’re working to start. It’s all fun; it’s all fine. I’m just ready to get him going and teach him everything that I know -- and I’m still learning, too.”

Al Messerschmidt/Getty ImagesSophomore Anthony Jennings is looking to jump into being LSU's starting quarterback, but he'll be challenged by Hayden Rettig and Brandon Harris.

Jennings put himself on the map as an early enrollee last spring, eventually claiming the Tigers’ backup quarterback job as a true freshman and starting the Outback Bowl in place of injured senior Mettenberger. Harris is on campus as an early enrollee not only in an attempt to learn Cam Cameron’s offense prior to preseason camp, but to try to win the starting job.

Understandably, Harris still has plenty of work to do on that front. He’s only been on campus for two months after all. He doesn’t possess a veteran’s understanding of the offense or a feel for the personnel around him yet. And that’s enough to rattle anyone’s confidence -- even a player whom every recruiting service ranked among the nation’s top dual-threat prospects for 2014.

The constant theme that everyone seems to be reinforcing to the freshman is positivity. Even when Cameron would chastise Harris for reflexively clapping after misfiring on a pass Monday, he'd give his young quarterback a fist-bump moments later in an attempt to encourage him.

“It’s definitely going to benefit him,” said receiver John Diarse, who is in line to start as a redshirt freshman after enrolling early a year ago. “I’ve been trying to talk to him here and there whenever I get an opportunity, just stay encouraging, stay upbeat because everybody can’t do it and apparently you have your opportunity because somebody believes you can do it. So just believe in yourself, stay confident and like [strength and conditioning coach Tommy] Moffitt tells us every day, practice positive self-talk and just believe that you can do it and take your time with it.

“Don’t try to be in a rush, don’t worry so much about the media or just the pressure around you. Just focus on yourself and what you can do.”

The media probably won’t be an issue for Harris. As a freshman, he is off limits to reporters until further notice. His plate is full enough in simply adapting to college life and trying to decipher LSU’s offense -- much less compete against Jennings and redshirt freshman Hayden Rettig.

But with nearly six months remaining until the Tigers’ opener against Wisconsin, nobody is winning the quarterback job now.

“The older guys obviously know cadence, and there’s some comfort there,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We want to allow a quality competitive environment for Brandon Harris and the other quarterbacks, so we have to bring Brandon to speed, just a comfort of the offense, and then let’s have at it. Let’s see who’s best.”

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For now, Jennings wants to prove that he’s more like the player who came off the bench to lead the game-winning touchdown drive against Arkansas than the one who struggled in his first start, the bowl win over Iowa where he completed just 7 of 19 pass attempts for 82 yards and an interception.

“I don’t think that game was one of my best games. If it was, I don’t think I would be starting,” Jennings said, later adding, “I watched [film of the Iowa game] so many times, I don’t think you’d believe it.”

Jennings and Rettig were both in Harris’ position a year ago, so while they both have the advantage of a year in Cameron’s system, nobody has a decided experience advantage -- particularly now that senior Rob Bolden has shifted to receiver in an attempt to earn some playing time.

Everyone in the quarterback room has plenty to prove, which is why Jennings said he has been spending six days a week at LSU’s football building in an attempt to learn as much as possible from his offensive coordinator.

It should be a competition where knowledge of the offense and daily consistency become enormously important factors as the coaches weigh their options at the position. Jennings is in the lead for now, but he knows -- and Miles guaranteed on Saturday -- that the starting privilege against Wisconsin is “going to be given to no one, earned by the one that plays.”

“[Harris and Rettig] wouldn’t be here if they couldn’t play on this level,” Jennings said. “They’re going -- just like I am -- to try to progress every day. Brandon’s throwing the ball well, still has a lot of things to learn in the offense, but I was in the same predicament last year. Hayden’s just learning along with me. He’s throwing the ball well, he’s speaking, he’s vocal. So we’re all trying to get better as spring goes along, and I think they’re progressing rapidly.”

BATON ROUGE, La. -- In the weeks leading up to Saturday’s first spring practice, we offered our best guesses -- some on the mark and some off -- on how LSU’s lineup might look when the Tigers took the field.

Nothing is settled yet, but at least we now have an idea of what the coaches are thinking.

Coach Les Miles addressed some of the Tigers’ biggest position battles and lineup alterations after Saturday’s initial team workout -- starting with the quarterback battle that will likely be the talk of this camp. Here is where things stand at the positions that are in flux as the Tigers enter today’s second practice:

Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY SportsAnthony Jennings is the early favorite to start for the Tigers in 2014, but two freshmen remain in the competition.

Quarterback: Miles said Saturday that “I think I have a good idea, anyway” about who the Tigers’ starting quarterback will be, but the competition for the job still figures to be fierce. By all accounts, the early leader is rising sophomore Anthony Jennings, but redshirt freshman Hayden Rettig and immensely talented early enrollee Brandon Harris could challenge Jennings for the job.

This competition is only beginning, however. Miles said the coaching staff is in no rush to settle on a starter now, preferring to allow the competition to progress over the next few months before making any decisions.

“The idea that you make the decision early is foolish,” Miles said. “I think there’s always going to be that point in time where a young guy gains speed late or an injury makes the decision or the old guy, the more veteran [player], just shows that he’s worthwhile.”

Wide receiver: We learned Saturday that there is one less contender in the quarterback battle since Rob Bolden has shifted to wideout. Bolden actually “made a couple nice catches today” after making what “appears to be a pretty good move,” Miles said.

Bolden’s position change made for an interesting side note, but he isn't the headliner at receiver. Who among the returning players is the headliner? That’s still to be determined.

“Travin Dural and John Diarse are both guys that really look good. We’re going to have the ability to put those guys on the field and go,” Miles said. “Q. Leslie and Kevin Spears and those guys that are really behind that group need to come on. This is the time for that. This is an opportunity for those guys. But those first two guys, we would look forward to them playing a lot.”

Right guard: Miles emphasized that for new offensive line coach Jeff Grimes, “playing the best player is obviously the key.”

Four offensive line jobs have clear leaders, with returning players who started nearly every game a season ago. But the right guard position is wide open, and Evan Washington is shifting from tackle to try to grab the job.

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Fehoko Fanaika and Ethan Pocic -- who can also play center -- are among the other candidates at right guard, Miles said, but “we’re going to have to see how that all goes.”

Linebacker: It looks like the Tigers will do some juggling at these spots. Kendell Beckwith, a utility player last season, worked at middle linebacker on Saturday. Kwon Alexander shifted from strongside linebacker to the weak side. Lamar Louis practiced on the strong side after playing in the middle in 2013.

“We’re really taking the time to multi-train these linebackers so we can put the best three guys on the field,” Miles said. “Kwon has moved from his starting spot to the other side, so we think this spring will allow them to be put in either side.”

The quarterback battle will attract most of the headlines, but this might wind up becoming the Tigers’ most interesting competition this spring. Lots of moving pieces here.

Safety: We know this much: Jalen Mills is a safety and early enrollee Edward Paris Jr. -- who is working at cornerback -- is not. Beyond that, we’ll see where this battle goes.

“We’ll have guys back, but I think we’ll be looking at some of these young guys that are coming in,” Miles said. “Ed Paris is lined up at corner right now and getting some corner work and then some of these young guys coming in will get opportunities to fit in there.”

Junior safety Corey Thompson (knee) might participate at some point this spring, but Miles said did not sound particularly optimistic on that front. Incidentally, he shared a similar spring-time prognosis for defensive end Jermauria Rasco (shoulder).

Succeeding McCarron: The Crimson Tide must find the person who will step into AJ McCarron’s shoes. There are several quarterbacks on campus: Blake Sims, Alec Morris, Parker McLeod and Cooper Bateman. The person most have pegged as the favorite, however, won’t be on campus until the summer: Jacob Coker. A transfer from Florida State, Coker is finishing his degree before enrolling at Alabama. But new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin will get a chance for a long look at the others this spring.

What’s next for Henry?: Running back Derrick Henry has the fans excited after his Allstate Sugar Bowl performance (eight carries, 100 yards), and he brings great size to the position (6-foot-3, 238 pounds). T.J. Yeldon is a returning starter who is more experienced and battle-tested, and there are still other talented backs on the roster, such as Kenyan Drake. But plenty of eyes will be on the sophomore-to-be Henry.

Replacing Mosley: Linebacker C.J. Mosley was a decorated star and leader, so his presence will be missed. Alabama has plenty of talent in the pipeline; it’s just not tremendously experienced. Watch for Reuben Foster and Reggie Ragland.

ARKANSAS

Spring start: March 16

Spring game: April 26

What to watch:

Keeping it positive: It’s been rough around Fayetteville, Ark. The Razorbacks closed their season with nine losses in a row; coach Bret Bielema is a focal point in the unpopular NCAA proposal designed to slow down hurry-up offenses; and leading running back Alex Collins served a weeklong suspension last month for unspecified reasons. The Hogs could use some positivity.

A new DC: The Razorbacks will be working in a new defensive coordinator, Robb Smith. He came over from the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he was the linebackers coach. Smith made a significant impact at his last college stop, Rutgers, where he led the Scarlet Knights' defense to a No. 10 ranking in total defense in 2012.

Year 2 progress: Making a drastic change in scheme isn’t easy to do, which is what the Razorbacks tried to accomplish in Bielema's debut season. In the second spring in Fayetteville for Bielema, things should come a little more easily as the Razorbacks continue to institute Bielema's brand of power football.

AUBURN

Spring start: March 18

Spring game: April 19

What to watch:

Picking up where they left off: The Tigers put together a memorable, magical 2013, and with eight starters returning on offense, keeping that momentum going is key. Replacing running back Tre Mason and O-lineman Greg Robinson won't be easy, but there is still plenty of talent on offense to aid quarterback Nick Marshall.

Marshall's progress: Marshall’s ascent last year was impressive, but can he continue it? He’s great with his feet and made some big-time throws last year. As he continues to progress as a passer, it should add another facet to the Tigers’ explosive, up-tempo, multifaceted attack.

Improving the defense: The Tigers lost five starters from a group that was suspect at times last season. But defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson has a history of improving defenses from Year 1 to Year 2, and it should be interesting to see if he can do that at Auburn.

LSU

Spring start: March 7

Spring game: April 5

What to watch:

Jennings next at QB?:Anthony Jennings engineered a memorable, game-winning drive in the regular-season finale against Arkansas, leading the Tigers 99 yards downfield, capped by a 49-yard touchdown pass. His performance in the Outback Bowl was far from impressive, though, as he went 7-for-19 passing for 82 yards and an interception in the Tigers’ win over Iowa. Still, he is considered the favorite to replace Zach Mettenberger. Competing with Jennings is Penn State transfer Rob Bolden and freshmen Hayden Rettig and Brandon Harris.

All eyes on Prescott: With some strong performances to close out the season in the Egg Bowl and in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, quarterback Dak Prescott certainly played the part of an elite SEC quarterback. He'll enter the season with more national attention after putting together some gutsy performances while pushing through some personal adversity last season after the death of his mother.

Malone stepping in:Justin Malone was on pace to start at right guard last season, but was lost for the year with a Lisfranc injury in his foot in the season opener against Oklahoma State. With Gabe Jackson gone, the Bulldogs need another solid interior lineman to step up, and a healthy 6-foot-7, 320-pound Malone could be that guy.

Offensive staff shuffle: The Bulldogs added some new blood on the offensive coaching staff, bringing in young quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, a former Utah quarterback. Billy Gonzales and John Hevesy were promoted to co-offensive coordinators, though head coach Dan Mullen will continue as the playcaller in games.

OLE MISS

Spring start: March 5

Spring game: April 5

What to watch:

Wallace’s development: Coach Hugh Freeze believes quarterback Bo Wallace will be helped by having more practice this time around; last year, January shoulder surgery had Wallace rehabilitating most of the offseason, and Freeze believes it affected Wallace's arm strength later in the season. A fresh Wallace going into the spring can only help, and as he’s heading into his senior season, the coaching staff will look for more consistency.

A healthy Aaron Morris: During the season opener against Vanderbilt, Morris tore his ACL and missed the rest of the season. The offensive guard was recently granted a medical hardship waiver to restore that season of eligibility. Getting Morris back healthy for 2014 is important for the Rebels as he is a key piece to their offensive line.

TEXAS A&M

Spring start: Feb. 28

Spring game: None (final practice is April 5)

What to watch:

Life after Johnny Manziel: Texas A&M says goodbye to one of the best quarterbacks in college football history and must find his successor. Spring (and fall) practice will be the stage for a three-way battle between senior Matt Joeckel, sophomore Kenny Hill and freshman Kyle Allen. Only one of those three has started a college game (Joeckel), and he played in just one half last August. Whoever wins the competition will be green, but all three have the ability to run the Aggies’ offense.

Retooling the defense: The Aggies were pretty awful on defense last season, ranking among the bottom 25 nationally in most defensive statistical categories. They have to get much better on that side of the football if they want to be a real factor in the SEC West race, and that starts in the spring by developing the young front seven and trying to find some answers in the secondary, particularly at the safety positions.

New left tackle: This spring, the Aggies will have their third different left tackle in as many seasons. Luke Joeckel rode a stellar 2012 season to the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft. Senior Jake Matthews made himself a projected top-10 pick for this year's draft while protecting Manziel last season. This season, Cedric Ogbuehi gets his turn. Ogbuehi has excelled throughout his Texas A&M career on the right side of the offensive line (first at right guard, then at right tackle last season) and is looking to follow in the footsteps of Joeckel and Matthews.

In previous weeks, we've broken down several players and position groups to watch this spring. As we lead up to Saturday's first team workout, this week we'll make five predictions related to the Tigers' upcoming practices.

Not saying this will be permanent. In fact, it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see one of the other contenders push Jennings hard -- and maybe even out of the way -- during the season. But that might be too tall of an order over the next month.

After all, Jennings is the guy who elbowed his way onto the depth chart by enrolling early last year and playing well during the spring. Jennings is the guy who had already appeared in seven games last season when he played in relief of an injured Zach Mettenberger against Arkansas. And Jennings is the guy who, with his team trailing the Razorbacks 27-24 and just 3:04 to play, drove the Tigers 99 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

If he never plays another down at LSU, Jennings' 49-yard scoring pass to Travin Dural with 1:15 to play was enough to secure a permanent spot in Tigers lore. But he still has three years of eligibility remaining -- and our bet is that he will be the first Tiger to line up under center in the 2014 opener against Wisconsin.

Granted, Jennings didn't do much to help his cause in his lone start, the Tigers' 21-14 win against Iowa in the Outback Bowl. He went 7-for-19 for 82 yards and an interception, ran for 31 yards and a score and was sacked four times. In short, he looked like what he was: a freshman making his first college start.

To be fair, it was an awful day in Tampa -- cold, windy and damp. LSU's coaches clearly had no interest in relying on the freshman to sling it around, as evidenced by the Tigers running the ball on their first 12 offensive plays before Jennings attempted his first pass. And give Iowa credit, it fielded an outstanding defense -- the Hawkeyes finished sixth nationally in total defense (303.1 ypg) and ninth in scoring (18.9 ppg) -- that represented a tremendous challenge for a first-time starter.

That said, many LSU fans entered the offseason wondering whether Jennings deserved to be Mettenberger's successor after all, and Brandon Harris had signed with the Tigers and enrolled in January.

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It seems clear that LSU's coaches want a dual-threat quarterback leading the offense -- former Tigers backup Stephen Rivers said as much when he announced plans to transfer -- and Jennings and Harris seem to be the players who can best fill that run-pass role. The majority of Jennings' offensive touches last season came on running plays before Mettenberger tore his ACL against Arkansas. And Harris was ESPN's No. 2 dual-threat quarterback and No. 37 overall prospect thanks to a combination of excellent passing skills and explosiveness as a runner from zone-read offensive looks.

Many LSU recruiting insiders believe Harris is the Tigers' quarterback of the future, but he's just a freshman preparing for his first spring camp. He has a lot to learn from offensive coordinator Cam Cameron before we predict that he'll leap past more experienced players like Rob Bolden and redshirt freshman Hayden Rettig, much less Jennings.

Bolden has yet to play in two years at LSU after starting 17 games at Penn State in 2010 and 2011. Rettig, meanwhile, is coming off a redshirt season where he enrolled early alongside Jennings. But both players at least have a year under Cameron's guidance, which is more than Harris can say at this point.

Add up all of those factors and it seems as if Jennings carries a clear advantage into the spring. Now will he maintain that advantage throughout the next month and beyond the Tigers' spring game? Our crystal ball starts getting murky there, but we'll say yes for now. The other quarterbacks will certainly have their chances, and if Harris picks up Cameron's offense at a rapid pace, this race might be wide open once the Tigers open preseason camp in August.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- We're closing in on the start of spring practice at LSU so let's take a look at five position battles worth watching.

We covered the wide receivers and defensive tackles in the first two installments. Now let's look at quarterback, where the Tigers must replace Zach Mettenberger, who as a senior enjoyed one of the best single seasons for a passer in school history.

Departures: Mettenberger (192-for-296, 3,082 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2013) seems like a surefire bet to be an early to middle-round NFL draft pick in May thanks to his combination of size (6-foot-5) and a tremendously strong throwing arm. Reserve Stephen Rivers left the program, announcing last week that he plans to transfer once he graduates and will immediately be eligible to play somewhere else next fall.

Returning reserves: If anything positive came out of Mettenberger's season-ending knee injury suffered in the regular-season finale against Arkansas, it's that his absence allowed freshman Anthony Jennings to gain some valuable experience. Jennings entered the Nov. 29 game against the rival Razorbacks and led the Tigers on a game-winning, 99-yard touchdown drive in the closing minutes -- a possession that he capped with a 49-yard touchdown pass to Travin Dural. Jennings (13-29, 181 yards, one TD, one INT in 2013) earned his first start in the bowl win against Iowa, although that was hardly an impressive performance. Rising senior Rob Bolden also returns -- although he has not appeared in a game. Bolden, however, did appear in 20 games at Penn State before transferring south, passing for 2,045 yards, seven touchdowns and 14 interceptions with the Nittany Lions.

Newcomers:Hayden Rettig – ESPN's No. 17 pocket passer and No. 217 overall prospect in 2013 -- enrolled early last year before redshirting in the fall. He and the others will be joined by exciting freshman Brandon Harris – ESPN's No. 2 dual-threat quarterback and No. 37 overall prospect -- who enrolled last month in order to compete in spring practice.

What to watch: This will perhaps become the most-watched LSU spring position battle. Quarterback generally attracts the most attention since it's the most important position on the field. LSU's coaches have made it clear that Jennings is the man to beat here, even if his lone start against Iowa (7-19, 82 yards, one interception) left a lot to be desired. He and Harris both have the run-pass skills that the coaching staff likes so the competition between them could continue through this season and into the next few fall seasons. If Harris struggles this spring and fails to mount much of a challenge in August, he could be staring at a redshirt season while Rettig or Bolden tries to wrestle the starting job away from Jennings. It definitely looks like his job to lose at this point.